- From fueling our region on the ground to fueling it in the air, Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the country, with thousands of passengers moving through its terminals each and every day.

But behind the scenes, a complex operation keeps those flights moving.

As "Carolina Impact's" Chris Clark shows us, a program called the Aviation Academy gives community members a chance to see how it all works.

- [Clark] When people first hear about the Charlotte Douglas Aviation Academy, many picture something very different.

- I was maybe thinking I would be flying an airplane or something.

- [Clark] The Aviation Academy isn't about learning to fly.

Instead, it's a behind the scenes look at the enormous operation behind Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

- Aviation Academy is a community engagement program focused on bringing in community members who have some interest in aviation and really taking them on a deep dive of what makes the airport work.

- [Clark] Every year, about two dozen community members are selected for the eight-week program.

- I typically travel about 10 days a month, so I'm at the airport all the time, so it was very exciting to get to know what happens behind the scenes.

- [Clark] One night a week, the participants gather for classroom sessions and Q&A discussions with leaders from across the airport.

- And once they demist or deice the planes- - [Clark] From there, they head out on field trips for an up-close look at the people and systems that keep everything moving.

- Running an airport is a team sport.

No one piece is more important because no one piece can work without all of those other pieces.

- [Clark] Participants begin to understand just how complex the operation really is.

- I think American Airlines said it takes the decisions of 37 or 39 different departments to get one single plane in the air.

- [Clark] Nowhere is that complexity more visible than inside the air traffic control system.

- Air traffic control is always something that surprises people because we are incredibly busy.

We have some of the busiest runways in the entire country.

- [Clark] During the eight weeks, participants get a look at many parts of the operation most travelers never see.

- The baggage claim was really cool because you know that is such a closed-off experience.

- Everything that goes into that mechanical-wise, computer-wise, running that thing, it's phenomenal.

- [Clark] The class also gets a chance to see how emergency crews prepare to protect the airport.

The vehicles are huge, purpose-built machines designed to reach any point in the airfield within seconds.

- They're kind of like ATVs, so they're not the traditional design of firetrucks.

The terrain isn't flat when they're going out onto the tarmac.

- [Clark] The class is also taken inside the massive hangars where aircraft are serviced and prepared for their next flight.

- The American Airline facility, I thought that was cool.

- [Clark] Standing beneath the wings and engines of aircraft that cross the country each day can quickly change how people see air travel.

- You've got a tiny window in a big plane and you're taking off and you're landing, and it's a very small space, but then when you see how large the aircraft is.

- [Clark] Seeing the aircraft up close is one thing.

Understanding what it takes to operate them safely is another.

Inside the simulator bay, participants get a glimpse into the constant training required before pilots ever push the throttles forward.

- I couldn't believe how much they cost and then how much training actually takes place in them.

- Only complaint, I really wanted to land the plane.

- [Clark] For many participants, moments like this reveal aviation isn't just about flying.

It's about the thousands of careers working behind the scenes to make every departure possible.

- There was an opportunity for you to be in aviation and not necessarily be on the plane.

- [Clark] For Ben Dusek, who works in workforce development, the experience also highlighted how aviation jobs ripple far beyond the runways.

- We have a large population center just south of the Mecklenburg County line that there is a workforce of talent that can come up and serve the Charlotte Douglas Airport.

- [Clark] Charlotte Douglas now handles roughly 1,800 flights a day, moving more than 118,000 passengers across nearly 6,000 acres of terminals, taxiways, and runways.

Its reach extends far beyond aviation, generating an estimated $40 billion in economic impact and supporting more than 185,000 jobs across the region.

- I walked away and am walking away with a whole bunch of technical, economic, you know, the footprint.

I mean, just so many nuggets.

- [Clark] Yet even after touring restricted areas and standing beside massive aircraft, some of the biggest surprises come from the everyday details most travelers never notice.

- I think the thing that surprised me the most was how much revenue they make off of parking.

I believe it was $120-125 million last year alone.

- The one that got me was how much they spend on window washing.

Like, you see all the windows and they're always clean, but you never think about, like, what is the cost to clean those windows?

- [Clark] Airport officials say that work alone costs about half a million dollars each year, helping explain just how much coordination and funding is required to keep the system moving.

- The thing that people get wrong most often is how the airport is funded.

There are no local tax dollars that go to the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

- [Clark] After eight weeks behind the scenes, many participants say they no longer see Charlotte Douglas the same way.

- I'll be kind of on the lookout for certain things and be like, "Oh, I see what they're doing there."

- You will walk away thinking, "I never knew that."

- I was surprised that, you know, there are dogs that you can pet in the airport because who goes to the airport like, "Hey, I wanna pet a dog."

Like, and we have dogs available for you to play with.

- [Clark] That shift in perspective is exactly what the program is designed to create.

- They think they already know all about the airport, and how it works, and we give them the context.

- [Clark] Participants leave with more than new knowledge.

They leave seeing a familiar place completely different, not simply as a gateway to somewhere else, but as a complex city of its own, helping move people, ideas, and opportunity across the Carolinas and beyond.

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Chris Clark.